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Maserati Tipo 61 #98 C. Shelby Times Mirror GP For Sportscars 1960 Minichamps 1:12

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Maserati Tipo 61 #98 C. Shelby Times Mirror GP For Sportscars 1960 Minichamps 1:12 120601298 Diecast
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Minichamps' 1:12 diecast Maserati Tipo 61 #98 carries the livery of C. Shelby's entry in the 1960 Times Mirror Grand Prix for Sportscars, with opening parts and the long-nosed Birdcage shape at display scale. For collectors who follow Carroll Shelby's path from racing driver to car builder, it is the pre-Cobra chapter of that story, in a size that suits a dedicated cabinet.
Maserati Tipo 61 #98 C. Shelby Times Mirror GP For Sportscars 1960 Minichamps 1:12
Current price: £418.33
Last one in stock
Estimated delivery: 29 Oct – 3 Nov 2026
Delivery from £14.00 Tracked & insured
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Specifications
Car Brand
Maserati
Model Manufacturer
Minichamps
Scale
1:12
Material
Diecast
Model Condition
New Model
SKU
120601298
Genuine articles Sourced from manufacturers
5-layer carton Foam-filled interior
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About the Maserati Tipo 61 #98 C. Shelby Times Mirror GP For Sportscars 1960 Minichamps 1:12

TL;DR: The Minichamps Maserati Tipo 61 #98 in 1:12 is a diecast replica of the car carrying Carroll Shelby's entry in the 1960 Times Mirror Grand Prix for Sportscars. It has opening parts, the tubular-frame Birdcage shape and a large-scale presence, and suits collectors who follow Shelby's racing career before the Cobra.

Before Cobras carried his name, Carroll Shelby was a driver, and this Tipo 61 belongs to that earlier chapter. Minichamps gives the #98 car the same 1:12 treatment as its sister liveries, so the question for a buyer is not shape but story: which 1960 race do you want on the shelf?

Maserati Tipo 61 1:12 in Shelby Livery and Diecast

What the #98 Livery Asks of the Paintwork

A racing number is the most exacting part of any livery to reproduce, and a large body gives no place to hide. Look at the numerals first: edges should be crisp, the proportions even and the colour consistent with the surrounding panel. Then check where the base colour meets any contrasting areas, because that is where cheaper printing and masking drift. At 1:12 the area of paint is substantial, so depth and evenness of gloss over the metal shell are easy to read from a metre away, and a good finish stays deep under a shelf lamp.

Diecast Weight and Articulation at 1:12

Opening parts are confirmed for this model, so the body articulates rather than sitting as a single sealed shell. Zinc alloy gives the heft that large-scale models need to feel substantial, and it resists the slow distortion that lightweight panels can suffer over years. The trade-off is that moving parts need clearance, so shut lines are slightly wider than a one-piece resin casting would show. Large panels carry more leverage than small ones, which is why careful handling matters more at this scale. Open and close them gently, and lift the model by the chassis with both hands.

Shelby, the Tipo 61 and Sportscar Racing in 1960

A Birdcage Frame Built Around Lightness

The Tipo 61 took its Birdcage nickname from the web of slim tubes forming its spaceframe, a construction that traded simplicity for light weight and stiffness. A front-mounted engine sits under a long nose, behind which the cockpit is set well back. On the model the key proportions to check are that long nose, the low windscreen and the tapering tail, all of which should read correctly in profile from a few feet away.

Following Shelby's Path to the Cobra

Shelby retired from driving for health reasons in the early 1960s and went on to build the Cobra, the combination of a British chassis and an American V8 that carries his name. That arc is widely documented, and it gives this #98 model a clear place in a collection: the driver era, before the car-builder era. British collectors who know the AC Ace origins of the Cobra often enjoy this connection as a thread through the shelf, and pairing the Tipo 61 with later Shelby-related models lets the display tell a complete story in a few pieces.

Space, Light and Care for a Large-Scale Racer

At 1:12 this is a model that needs planning. Measure the display case before ordering, allowing for the length of a front-engined prototype plus room to view it from the side. Keep it away from radiators and south-facing windows, as heat and strong light age paint and decals over the years. Light dusting with a soft brush is safer than wiping. Keep the box and any paperwork: provenance and completeness matter to British buyers, and a complete package is easier to swap or sell later. It sits well beside the #5 Camoradi car if you want to show how one chassis wore very different liveries. For a large-scale 1960 sportscar with an American racing link, this is a considered buy.

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